Welcome to Spotlight Entrepreneur and today, Banke Alawaye has the spotlight today. She gives us a sneak peak on what it’s like being in technology and the challenges she has faced as a business owner. Let’s get right into it.
- Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role in your business.
My name is Banke Alawaye, I’m a digital transformation specialist and CTO @ aCubed Limited where we work with smart businesses who are interested in growth, profitability, and longevity. I’m also a teacher of sorts in that I teach entrepreneurs and freelancers how to use digital tools to work smart. I’m particularly focused on tools for automating business tasks to create efficiency.
2. What led you into this sector of tech as a career ?
I like to say that the CTO stands for Chief Transformation Officer. Our work at aCubed is about helping our clients develop structures that are foundational for their growth. And you can’t escape technology in a growing company at this time.
My background includes investment banking and leading a Pan African digital agency. All that business and technology experience is best used to serve businesses who are trying to gain market share in an increasingly digital world.
I’m also very keen to get more women into tech. At aCubed we have a women-in-business program that is targeted at female entrepreneurs who are ready to structure their business and make the transition into a thriving business entity.
Personally I provide mentoring through a program called Girls in Glasses which I started as a way to find and nurture talented women interested in the tech world.
My goal is simple. To help and support women in tech by:
- Providing mentoring to take their tech related idea to launch and/or grow their business
- Providing support and information to help find a path to becoming a woman in tech
- To create a community of women tech service providers and connect you to job opportunities
This is a labour of love and I look forward to telling some success stories from the group soon.
4. Entrepreneurship could be hard, what has been the highlight (victories and challenges) of your entrepreneurial journey so far?
It’s interesting and has its challenges. I’m lucky enough to love what I do and to have built a reputation to attract the right clients to my business. But entrepreneurship is not all roses. I have closed down two businesses over the years for various reasons. The good thing is that from those failures I’ve learnt what doesn’t work and what not to do. For a long time I was a reluctant entrepreneur but now that I’ve found my stride, I’m loving it.
5. What is it like working in your industry?
Just like any industry, you have to stay ahead of the curve. Technology is continuously evolving and you have to keep yourself up to date on new developments so as to provide the most value to clients. I’m lucky that this plays to my strengths as I am always learning.
6. How are you staying ahead in spite of covid19 and and what lessons or what advice would you give to anyone who wants to break into your industry?
Technology has become necessary for so many people to do their jobs and keep their businesses afloat. This has meant that my industry has been busy as people seek out expertise and support to get them on their digital path.
For anyone looking to break into the technology industry, the first step really is education. Take some courses and see where your interest lies. There are many free courses to get started just to see what area you want to learn more about. There’s no better job in the world than the one that you love to do and you’re excited to do. Don’t follow the bandwagon. Play to your strengths. There are many opportunities in technology at this time.
Follow Banke Alawaye on Instagram and LinkedIn. Also, visit her website to be more informed and learn more to run your business with ease using technology.